In My Kitchen- June 2014

Well, another month has passed and time once again to join in with Celia from Fig Jam & Lime Cordial to share whats going on in my kitchen!

On the weekend down at our local farmers markets I found these Black Krimm Heirloom Tomatoes. I hadn't come across them before so I bought a few to take home. They are quite juicy and an incredibly sweet tomato. Ive been eating them fresh in salads but they are ultra juicy so Im thinking they might be good as a base on a pizza instead of using bottled passata.

Mandarins, in particular, Clemintines are huge in our house at the moment. The kids love them and Im happy knowing they are getting lots of fresh daily doses of Vitamin C. Our oranges on the tree outside our kitchen are almost ripe….hopefully to be shown on next months post!

Some lovely mail arrived today in the post from a fellow blogger, Janelle. How cute are these gorgeous hand knitted bunny egg warmers?  Janelle writes a blog called A White Farm- you must check it out!!! She is one crafty lady who is a whizz in the kitchen and has a beautiful family home.
One cute little bunny for each of my gorgeous children! Thank you so much Janelle!!!! Very clever xxx

I had read about the Careme Pastry but living in the country never thought I would beable to buy it locally. But….whilst shopping at our local green grocer (who just happens to have the best deli section!!) I spotted some in the freezer. How happy was I!!! There are four varieties so I played it safe and chose the all butter puff pastry and the sour cream shortcrust pastry. Ive made a chicken and leek pie with the puff pastry and have to say the pastry was absolutely delicious. I will still buy my Borg brand as its cheaper and fine for every day use, but this pastry will come in handy for those times when I would normally make my own pastry. Have you tried it before???

My sister bought me back a stash of goodies from her recent trip to Cambodia. One of which was this black pepper. Im actually not a pepper person but am still looking forward to experimenting with the flavours.

I have just discovered miso paste….yes, slow, I know!!! I love miso soup but always save it for a city treat. A recipe I have started cooking a lot lately requires this white miso paste and so this packet has now become a staple in our pantry. I also love knowing that during the day if Im feeling a bit peckish, it takes me all of a minute to make up a hearty and delicious tasting soup. Did you know that miso is a probiotic??? Just another good reason to have more of it your diet!!!

In my kitchen this month, I've been cooking a few recipes from this cookbook- a recipe book we had published for my Mother in laws birthday last month. It is a collection of all her much loved recipes she has cooked for her entire family over the years. A lovely keepsake for us all…plus filled with lots of photos of our family (all around the table or eating, of course!) and special pieces around their home. My favourite recipes are my Mother in law's delicious tomato relish, snow soup, madeira sauce  and pineapple upside down cake!!!

A belated birthday present from a friend…..What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies. This book makes me ache with hunger with each page I turn. I love it and have already earmarked several recipes (actually more than that!!) to try. Also love following her blog too!

Something that was in my kitchen/living area but now is having some 'time out' outside is my very sick looking fiddle leaf fig. I accidentally overwatered it and half of it died. I have one surviving branch which is hanging in there. Some new shoots showing (yay) but I have noticed some brown tinges on the edge of the keaves showing again…oh no! Any tips on how to look after them would be greatly appreciated. I love the look of this plant- such gorgeous green foliage and really adds colour and some freshness to the room.

Finally, in my kitchen is a birthday cake for my son who celebrated turning three today.

Just a simple chocolate fudge cake, totally slathered in chocolate butter cream icing, topped with a tip truck and lots of chocolate rocks, dirt, etc…..thank you pinterest!!!! A very happy little (oops, big) boy!

So that wraps up what's in my kitchen for this month, but if you feel like you would like to party on and gatecrash some other kitchens around the world, please visit Celia's blog and follow the links.

What's happening in your kitchen this month?